The 2025 Breeders' Cup World Championships, happening on October 31st and November 1st at Del Mar racecourse in California, is set to offer an exhilarating spectacle featuring the world's best thoroughbreds. The event will distribute over $30 million in prize money. Notable horses, including Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and defending champion Sierra Leone, are already anticipating their races. Trainers like Chad Brown and Aidan O'Brien bring formidable teams, with names such as Mindframe and Book’em Danno ready to compete. The event promises thrilling races on both turf and dirt tracks.
2025 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar set for Oct 31-Nov 1, $30M prize money
Key horses: Sovereignty, Sierra Leone, White Abarrio, Thorpedo Anna
Top trainers: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Aidan O'Brien, Charlie Appleby
Expired
Sierra Leone ridden by #11 Flavien Prat goes on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic during the day two of the 2024 Breeders' Cup World Championships. (Getty)
The countdown to the 2025 Breeders' Cup is on, as many of the world's top thoroughbreds gear up for a two-day showdown at Del Mar.
The 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships is set for October 31st and November 1st at Del Mar racecourse in California. Over two days, the sport’s leading horses, trainers, and jockeys will gather for racing’s most competitive international showcase, and over $30m in prize money will be handed out.
Pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup close on October 20th, with post positions and the race order revealed on October 22nd. Here's a brief look at what we've got to look forward to during this spectacular weekend of racing.
Horses To Watch
All eyes will be on Sovereignty, as the USA's top three-year-old carries the tag of favouritism into the Breeders' Cup Classic. The Kentucky Derby winner has since followed up in the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes, and victory in the Classic will see Sovereignty head off to stud with a massive stallion fee.
Defending champion, Sierra Leone warmed up for his return to Del Mar with an impressive victory in the Whitney Stakes. White Abarrio, a previous Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and multiple Grade 1 performer, also remains firmly in the Classic frame.
Thorpedo Anna, crowned Horse of the Year, is set to lead the charge in the Distaff. A dominant three-year-old, she has returned just as strong at four, with key victories this year in the Apple Blossom Handicap and the Personal Ensign, underlining her status as the filly to beat.
Mindframe has emerged as one of the most promising dirt horses of his generation. The Constitution colt announced himself with back-to-back Grade I wins in the Churchill Downs Stakes and the Stephen Foster, and he could be hard to beat in the Dirt Mile.
Book’em Danno, meanwhile, has been one of the season’s most exciting sprinters. The New Jersey-bred gelding put together a remarkable Saratoga run, stringing together victories in the True North, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and Forego.
Sovereignty with Junior Alvarado up, wins the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes. (Getty)
Trainers To Follow
Few trainers approach the Breeders’ Cup with more firepower than Chad Brown, whose record across turf divisions and the Classic makes him a perennial contender. Brad Cox, a multi-time Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer, will also bring a strong team, particularly on dirt, while the likes of Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher and Billy Mott are sure to be well-represented.
When it comes to the turf, Aidan O'Brien is the trainer to follow. He and Godolphin's head honcho, Charlie Appleby have dominated the turf races at the Breeders' Cup recently, but it's O'Brien who'll play by far the stronger hand in 2025.
Whirl tops the betting for the Filly & Mare Turf, while Epsom Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk looks set to take on the colts in the Breeders' Cup Turf. French 2000 Guineas winner, Henri Matisse is favourite for the Breeders' Cup Mile, while Charles Darwin and Mythical are names to watch out for on Future Stars Friday.
